Even though the research is moving forward at a rate of knots, Governments and legislation is still lagging behind, even with the evidence that CBD is beneficial to human beings.
Asking the question is CBD legal everywhere is the modern day equivalent of saying ‘you’ve opened a can of worms’. There are so many factors and variables that are involved in attempting to answer this question, especially when it comes to using and transporting CBD. Very quickly, we can tell you that yes, it is legal, but not everywhere.
CBD in the USA
The political system in the U.S. doesn’t lend itself to being understood easily. Back in 2018, a federal law was passed that allowed hemp to grown in the U.S., which then allowed CBD oil to be produced from it. The reason that hemp is now a legal crop in the U.S. is due to the lower levels of the psychoactive component THC. In traditional marijuana, THC is a lot higher. So, if you have CBD oil in the United States, it needs to have been derived from these particular authorised hemp crops to be classed as legal. It is worth noting that most of the CBD oils that come from these hemp crops are either isolate oils (meaning that all other compounds are removed, leaving you only with cannabidiol, or CBD) or the oils that have very little trace amounts of THC in them, so they are not necessarily full spectrum oils.
Non-Authorised CBD in the USA
This is where it begins to get tricky. Federal law in the U.S. typically supersedes individual state laws. So, the federal law is that CBD from these specified hemp sources is legal, however some states have put a limitation on the amount of THC allowed in CBD, whereas other states have fully legalised all cannabis and cannabis derived products. For legality issues, it is always going to be the safer option to purchase CBD from the specified sources, as there will be limited legal grey areas surrounding this. However, a lot of CBD users don’t like the removal of ingredients from the CBD and prefer to purchase full spectrum oils that come with a higher level of THC, but they are from non-authorised sources.
CBD in the United Kingdom
There are a lot of similarities between the USA and the UK when it comes to CBD and its use. The European Union has allowed 40 different types of hemp/cannabis to be cultivated within the EU so that it can be processed into medical marijuana and CBD respectively. In the UK, cannabis is still a class B drug, so any cannabis derived products that do not come from these prescribed crops are illegal. If you are caught purchasing, using and selling any products that don’t follow the EU measures, there may be well be fines, cautions and even jail sentences.
What About the Rest of the World?
The UK government recently released a warning to travelers stating that under no circumstances should they take their CBD products to the UAE, even if they are fully legal in the UK and had come from the correct EU channels. This is the same for moving any type of CBD overseas. There is too much inherent risk involved if you are going on holiday and want to take CBD with you, such places such as Indonesia, Thailand and other south east Asian countries will come down on foreigners traveling with drugs with extreme force.
How Can You Get Around This?
Well, there are some ways that you can make sure you can still dose CBD even when traveling. It does require research, but if it something that you depend on, then it is the difference between going on holiday and not. Firstly, research where you are going. Is it legal to purchase CBD there? If it is, are there multiple distributors that sell similar products to what you are used to? Once you have these questions answered, you can begin to work out if you can get it shipped to your location once you arrive. At least this way the risk is somewhat negated as you won’t be traveling through airport security with a substance that some countries class as illicit. Just be cautious and careful.
Final Thoughts
The research into cannabis and the benefits of CBD isn’t letting up anytime soon. Whilst the research in the 1970’s only seemed to focus around THC and the impacts of that on the human body, we are finally starting to see research that is geared towards how cannabis and CBD can help people with more serious conditions. Even though the research is moving forward at a rate of knots, Governments and legislation is still lagging behind, even with the evidence that CBD is beneficial to human beings. If you are looking to travel, take appropriate measures and thoroughly research the area you are traveling first. It is always advisable to never fly with CBD as irrespective of the crop, you are still importing cannabis into a country that may well not be as forward thinking as others.
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